The Bible miracles authenticating the man of God and the message are not empty claims and hearsay, they were certain and definite.
They could be judged by the senses
"As they were talking about all this, there he was, standing among them. Startled and terrified, they thought they were seeing a ghost. But he said, ‘Why are you so perturbed? Why do doubts arise in your minds? Look at my hands and feet. It is I myself. Touch me and see; no ghost has flesh and bones as you can see that I have.’ They were still incredulous, still astounded, for it seemed too good to be true. So he asked them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ They offered him a piece of fish they had cooked, which he took and ate before their eyes." (Luke 24:36-43, REB)
"Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him, ‘Sir, by now there will be a stench; he has been there four days.’...Then he raised his voice in a great cry: ‘Lazarus, come out.’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with linen bandages, his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said, ‘Loose him; let him go.’ Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him. But some of them went off to the Pharisees and reported what he had done. (John 11:39, 43-46, REB)
The Miracles were not ambiguous
"Then he breathed deeply on the child three times and called to the Lord, ‘I pray, Lord my God, let the breath of life return to the body of this child.’ The Lord listened to Elijah’s cry, and the breath of life returned to the child’s body, and he revived. Elijah lifted him and took him down from the roof-chamber into the house, and giving him to his mother he said, ‘Look, your son is alive.’ She said to Elijah, ‘Now I know for certain that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord on your lips is truth.’" (1Kgs 17:21-24, REB)
"Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or sign of life, so he went back to meet Elisha and told him that the boy had not stirred. When Elisha entered the house, there was the dead boy, where he had been laid on the bed. He went into the room, shut the door on the two of them, and prayed to the Lord. Then, getting on to the bed, he lay upon the child, put his mouth to the child’s mouth, his eyes to his eyes, and his hands to his hands; as he crouched upon him, the child’s body grew warm. Elisha got up and walked once up and down the room; getting on to the bed again, he crouched upon him and breathed into him seven times, and the boy opened his eyes." (2Kgs 4:31-35, REB)
The Miracles were witnessed by the entire village or town
"Now a man who had been a cripple from birth used to be carried there and laid every day by the temple gate called Beautiful to beg from people as they went in. When he saw Peter and John on their way into the temple, he asked for alms. They both fixed their eyes on him, and Peter said, ‘Look at us.’ Expecting a gift from them, the man was all attention. Peter said, ‘I have no silver or gold; but what I have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk.’ Then, grasping him by the right hand he helped him up; and at once his feet and ankles grew strong; he sprang to his feet, and started to walk. He entered the temple with them, leaping and praising God as he went. Everyone saw him walking and praising God, and when they recognized him as the man who used to sit begging at Beautiful Gate they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him." (Acts 3:2-10, REB)
The apostolic miracles included raising the dead
"Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. You received without cost; give without charge." (Matt 10:8, REB)
"At that time she fell ill and died; and they washed her body and laid it in a room upstairs. As Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who had heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the urgent request, ‘Please come over to us without delay.’ At once Peter went off with them. When he arrived he was taken up to the room, and all the widows came and stood round him in tears, showing him the shirts and coats that Dorcas used to make while she was with them. Peter sent them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; then, turning towards the body, he said, ‘Tabitha, get up.’ She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up." (Acts 9:37-40, REB)
"...and a young man named Eutychus, who was sitting on the window-ledge, grew more and more drowsy as Paul went on talking, until, completely overcome by sleep, he fell from the third storey to the ground, and was picked up dead. Paul went down, threw himself upon him, and clasped him in his arms. ‘Do not distress yourselves,’ he said to them; ‘he is alive.’" (Acts 20:9-10, REB)
There is the greatest miracle in all of history, dividing it into BC and AD
"First and foremost, I handed on to you the tradition I had received: that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised to life on the third day, in accordance with the scriptures; and that he appeared to Cephas, and afterwards to the Twelve. Then he appeared to over five hundred of our brothers at once, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, and afterwards to all the apostles. Last of all he appeared to me too; it was like a sudden, abnormal birth. For I am the least of the apostles, indeed not fit to be called an apostle, because I had persecuted the church of God." (1Cor 15:3-9, REB)
How so many can be gullible, and follow the reprobates claiming the spiritual gifts of miracles today, while living in luxury mansions, driving luxury cars and owning business jets defies all reason. To believe in those frauds is not faith, it is delusion.
They could be judged by the senses
"As they were talking about all this, there he was, standing among them. Startled and terrified, they thought they were seeing a ghost. But he said, ‘Why are you so perturbed? Why do doubts arise in your minds? Look at my hands and feet. It is I myself. Touch me and see; no ghost has flesh and bones as you can see that I have.’ They were still incredulous, still astounded, for it seemed too good to be true. So he asked them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ They offered him a piece of fish they had cooked, which he took and ate before their eyes." (Luke 24:36-43, REB)
"Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him, ‘Sir, by now there will be a stench; he has been there four days.’...Then he raised his voice in a great cry: ‘Lazarus, come out.’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with linen bandages, his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said, ‘Loose him; let him go.’ Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him. But some of them went off to the Pharisees and reported what he had done. (John 11:39, 43-46, REB)
The Miracles were not ambiguous
"Then he breathed deeply on the child three times and called to the Lord, ‘I pray, Lord my God, let the breath of life return to the body of this child.’ The Lord listened to Elijah’s cry, and the breath of life returned to the child’s body, and he revived. Elijah lifted him and took him down from the roof-chamber into the house, and giving him to his mother he said, ‘Look, your son is alive.’ She said to Elijah, ‘Now I know for certain that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord on your lips is truth.’" (1Kgs 17:21-24, REB)
"Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or sign of life, so he went back to meet Elisha and told him that the boy had not stirred. When Elisha entered the house, there was the dead boy, where he had been laid on the bed. He went into the room, shut the door on the two of them, and prayed to the Lord. Then, getting on to the bed, he lay upon the child, put his mouth to the child’s mouth, his eyes to his eyes, and his hands to his hands; as he crouched upon him, the child’s body grew warm. Elisha got up and walked once up and down the room; getting on to the bed again, he crouched upon him and breathed into him seven times, and the boy opened his eyes." (2Kgs 4:31-35, REB)
The Miracles were witnessed by the entire village or town
"Now a man who had been a cripple from birth used to be carried there and laid every day by the temple gate called Beautiful to beg from people as they went in. When he saw Peter and John on their way into the temple, he asked for alms. They both fixed their eyes on him, and Peter said, ‘Look at us.’ Expecting a gift from them, the man was all attention. Peter said, ‘I have no silver or gold; but what I have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk.’ Then, grasping him by the right hand he helped him up; and at once his feet and ankles grew strong; he sprang to his feet, and started to walk. He entered the temple with them, leaping and praising God as he went. Everyone saw him walking and praising God, and when they recognized him as the man who used to sit begging at Beautiful Gate they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him." (Acts 3:2-10, REB)
The apostolic miracles included raising the dead
"Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. You received without cost; give without charge." (Matt 10:8, REB)
"At that time she fell ill and died; and they washed her body and laid it in a room upstairs. As Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who had heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the urgent request, ‘Please come over to us without delay.’ At once Peter went off with them. When he arrived he was taken up to the room, and all the widows came and stood round him in tears, showing him the shirts and coats that Dorcas used to make while she was with them. Peter sent them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; then, turning towards the body, he said, ‘Tabitha, get up.’ She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up." (Acts 9:37-40, REB)
"...and a young man named Eutychus, who was sitting on the window-ledge, grew more and more drowsy as Paul went on talking, until, completely overcome by sleep, he fell from the third storey to the ground, and was picked up dead. Paul went down, threw himself upon him, and clasped him in his arms. ‘Do not distress yourselves,’ he said to them; ‘he is alive.’" (Acts 20:9-10, REB)
There is the greatest miracle in all of history, dividing it into BC and AD
"First and foremost, I handed on to you the tradition I had received: that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised to life on the third day, in accordance with the scriptures; and that he appeared to Cephas, and afterwards to the Twelve. Then he appeared to over five hundred of our brothers at once, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, and afterwards to all the apostles. Last of all he appeared to me too; it was like a sudden, abnormal birth. For I am the least of the apostles, indeed not fit to be called an apostle, because I had persecuted the church of God." (1Cor 15:3-9, REB)
How so many can be gullible, and follow the reprobates claiming the spiritual gifts of miracles today, while living in luxury mansions, driving luxury cars and owning business jets defies all reason. To believe in those frauds is not faith, it is delusion.
